🔗 Share this article Struggling to have an amazing experience at college? Many share your feelings. Two students share their experiences of college living. One university attendee passed the majority of his orientation week browsing through digital networks, reading posts about fellow students partying. "I remained in my room," Robert explains, describing the week as the most isolated period of his life. The people he lived with rarely went out, and his course didn't feel especially friendly. Although he tried by going to taster sessions for different clubs, he didn't discover like-minded individuals. "I started to lose my confidence," he says. "I believed people didn't want to be friends with me, or they weren't fond of me." Digital Platform Contrasts Initially, Robert had no intention of going to university and was offered positions for after sixth form. Yet he saw his friends enjoying themselves as college students online. "When you've got to get up for work on Thursday at the morning hour and you observe peers partied on Wednesday night, you begin believing situations appear superior," Robert mentions. Higher Education Assumptions Television programs and digital networks can idealize the notion of university living. Many individuals arrive at college with great anticipations for what they imagine could be the greatest period of their lives. Various learners arrive at college with "rose-tinted glasses," explains a mental health professional. Study Outcomes According to research of first-year attendees early on, students' biggest concern was fitting in and being accepted In another survey by market research agencies, 17% of students said they lacked friendships at university 37% said they worried daily or weekly about building relationships Personal Journeys Another student's online videos was full of videos of girls having fun while living together in student houses. But when she relocated from London to Sheffield to study journalism, she found freshers' week "daunting" because of the drinking culture it involved. Alisha doesn't drink and had not experienced nightlife before. "I did spend a lot of freshers' week within my living space," she says. "I just felt a bit alienated." Mental Health Considerations According to recent research of numerous undergraduate students, a significant portion mentioned they contemplated dropping out. The most common reason was emotional state, followed by financial concerns. "Anxiety about these multiple factors is very widespread, and expected," explains a mental health professional. Finding Solutions With time, Robert, Alisha and Christina gradually adjusted and formed relationships. She formed relationships through her course and using online platforms, while the individual experienced improvement when she could to relocate with companions. Helpful Recommendations Regarding his experience, now 24 and in his final year, it was joining his university's drama society and working occasionally that assisted in relationship building. The suggested approach to new attendees finding social interaction difficult is to just "get out of your room" and go to club and society taster events. "Subsequent to periods of consistently showing up, others notice your presence," he mentions, "you become familiar with them, and you start making friends."